The Awakening
by animechick999
Summary: "I understand, Kaiba. You can tell me anything." Her voice was soft and comforting to him. "Anything, huh?" He watched her short brown hair move back and forth as she nodded in reassurance. "I think I'm an Avatar."
1. News

**A/N:** Hey everybody! So, I've been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender lately, and I absolutely LOVE it! Since I love crossovers so much, I thought that an Avatar/Yu-Gi-Oh crossover was necessary haha. This story takes place in modern day and is post-series Yu-Gi-Oh (after the events of Atem). So, without any more of my blabbing, please enjoy!

**I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH! OR AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER!**

Book 1: Water

Chapter 1- News

* * *

><p>It had been thousands of years since the last time the Avatar had walked the earth. The four nations have ceased to exist, their landmasses coming together, forming modern-day earth. New governments and new people scatter the world and Benders of all types are virtually extinct. The Avatar is gone while the world faces a new foe...<p>

* * *

><p>'Today marks the first day that North America and South America have become one continent and one country! The world leaders from North, Central and South America have been in a large assembly meeting for the past nine months, trying to decide what to do with the "One America" plan, first purposed back in January by President Kelvin Bloodworth of the United States. Now, the plan seems to be solved as the entire Western Hemisphere has been transformed into one country. The world leaders have decided to call their country: America. With the Western Hemisphere becoming one, issues such as, travel, oil, currency, food and government have been resolved. Law issues have also been resolved and the new laws will be set into motion for America tomorrow.<p>

Assemblies for world leaders seem to be happening for Europe and Asia as well. Talk about the same formation as America may happen for Europe and Asia, and it seems as though progress is going quite well. No news on whether or not world leaders from Africa want to join in on the formation, and the Prime Minister of Australia, Beau Windsor, has not made any contact at this time.'

Solomon Muto clicked off the television set while shaking his head and sighing. Things were changing more and more everyday. When Solomon first heard about the President of the United States plan, he knew it was a bad idea; he had a strong gut feeling about it. Now it was going to affect his country, but more importantly the future of his grandson, Yugi.

"Hey, why'd you turn that off Gramps?" A strong, Brooklyn accent asked.

Solomon looked at the young blonde that was Joey Wheeler, Yugi's best friend. He sighed and spoke, "Because it's complete garbage, Joey."

"What do you mean, Grandpa?" Yugi asked innocently. Both Yugi and Joey were sitting on the sofa in the living room, wide-eyed and confused by the old man's sudden action of switching off the television.

Solomon walked over to the teens and took a seat in-between them, "Look boys, ever since this whole thing started I've had a bad feeling about it."

"What!?" Joey exasperated, "This is good news. The world is finally becoming a better place."

Yugi piped in, "Joey's right, Grandpa. The world leaders are deciding to come together in peace. Peace is a good thing."

Solomon sighed, "Well I suppose so…. But, not when peace is backed by power."

The teens were silent, staring intently at the old man sitting in-between them, waiting for him to explain himself. Solomon knew that they were expecting an answer; he would gladly give it, if he had one. The only explanation he had was his instincts. Even instinct wouldn't be enough to convince them.

Slowly rising from the sofa, his old bones cracking, Solomon began to walk towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Joey questioned.

Solomon turned around and smiled, "I'm going to make a cup of tea, would you boys like some?"

Yugi smiled beamingly up at his grandfather, "Sure, thanks Grandpa."

The old man nodded and slowly left the room.

When Joey was sure that Mr. Muto was out of earshot he turned to Yugi. "No offense Yug, but I think your Grandpa's losing it."

Yugi thought for a moment. Joey had a good point. His grandpa was acting strange lately. Ever since he had first heard about the world nations forming together his grandfather would become angry or upset at any new news, almost as if he knew something that everyone else didn't. However, every time the subject was brought up, Solomon would not give any answer to his assumptions or actions. Yugi was confused by this, but for some reason he felt as though his grandpa was right, even if his grumblings were just assumptions.

_Peace backed by power_. There was something about his grandfather's phrase that made sense. World leaders, obviously the most powerful and influential people in the world, coming together to make one nation for peace? How could peace be obtained when there were so many powerful people involved? Someone would eventually want to rule the majority. The only question that remained was _who_ would rule and by what _means_ would they get there? This thought made Yugi shiver.

"Joey, I think…." Yugi paused. He wanted to say he agreed with his grandpa, however, this wasn't a subject he felt like talking about anymore. Regardless of what happened to the countries, it was out of his control now. Atem was gone, they had sent him to the afterlife, and now Yugi's work of 'saving the world' was done. He didn't need to worry about these kinds of things anymore, especially not pointless politics. "I think we should call Tristan and Tea. They said they'd be here a half-hour ago."

Joey's eyes widened, "You're right! Where are those morons?"

"Right here you jerk," a voice from behind them said.

Joey and Yugi turned in their seats to see Tristan and Tea standing in the doorway.

"Hey! Who are you calling a jerk, Tristan!?" Joey barked at his friend while pointing his figure at him.

"Hey," Yugi said, "What took you guys so long?"

"Traffic," Tea replied. She gave Yugi a sweet smile that made the short teen blush.

"Ah!" Solomon walked out into the living room with a tray full of cups and a steaming teapot, "You two are just in time for tea!"

* * *

><p>Constantly glancing at the clock was making Seto Kaiba anxious. It was 10:57 in the morning, but Kaiba wished it were later. He wanted to go home and sleep all day. He'd been up for two days straight due to nightmares. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not fall back to sleep after the dreams. He'd tried sleep medications and relaxers, but nothing seemed to work.<p>

Kaiba painfully typed away at his laptop as he took a sip of his warm coffee. Work at Kaiba Corporation was going to be excruciating today. As CEO of KaibaCorp., Kaiba had to be present at a few meetings this afternoon. The meetings would last until about five o'clock. Kaiba didn't know if he could make it that long, his throbbing headache and fatigue was catching up to him, not to mention the horrible people he would be meeting with later. The board members were boring and self-centered, and Kaiba didn't feel like dealing with that today. He didn't feel like dealing with _anything _today. Sleep was his main concern.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. The intercom on Kaiba's desk buzzed as Roland, Kaiba's right-hand man and personal business advisor, appeared on a small video screen next to the intercom.

"Mister Kaiba, a Miss Ishizu Ishtar is here to speak to you. She says that it's important."

Kaiba pressed the intercom button to talk, "Is it for personal matters?"

Roland nodded, "Yes it is, Mister Kaiba. Miss Ishtar claims that it's urgent and she needs to see you right away."

A stern frown crossed the brunette's face. As a CEO of one of the most popular and powerful gaming corporations in the world Kaiba didn't have time for personal problems, especially not when he was running on no sleep for two days. "Tell Ishizu that I don't have time for her nonsense and to leave me alone, _forever_," Kaiba grumbled.

"Yes, of course sir," Roland said.

"And one more thing, Roland," Kaiba said before Roland could disconnect the call, "I don't want anymore calls today. Send everyone away who comes to see me."

"Yes, sir," Roland replied, his arm reached out across the screen to disconnect the call.

"I'm not done yet." Kaiba spoke sternly, "Have an assistant bring me another cup of coffee."

Roland nodded, "Yes, Mister Kaiba, is that all?"

Kaiba nodded back, "For now." He clicked off his intercom, the video screen went black, and Kaiba sighed as he sunk into his office chair. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep _badly_, but worry was creeping its way into Kaiba's mind. What if those bizarre nightmares hit him once he fell asleep? What if the nightmares persisted, what would he do? What if he could never sleep again?

Kaiba quickly retrieved control over his thoughts, realizing how stupid he was being. They were just dreams, they couldn't harm him, and certainly Kaiba wouldn't let them control him. However, recalling the dreams, they were unlike anything he'd ever had before. They were vivid, dark, and just downright horrifying. Every night they were almost the same; Kaiba would be walking alone at night, then suddenly he'd hear a voice and his body would freeze. The voice would always come from behind him but Kaiba could never turn around and move to see whom the person was. His body always froze, but that wasn't even the worst part. Moments after Kaiba was frozen, his body began to move on its own, like his limbs had a mind of their own. The voice would say one thing every time, right before Kaiba's hands grasped his own neck…. _Die_….

Kaiba shuddered, remembering the creepy events of his awful dreams. After the voice would tell him to die Kaiba's own hands would ultimately choke him to death. That's when he woke up every night, terrified. Kaiba wished he knew what his dreams meant.

A knock on his office door brought the young CEO out of his musings, "Come in," he said flatly.

The door opened but Kaiba didn't look up to see who it was, he knew it was just the assistant bringing him his coffee. He continued to tap away on his keyboard, paying no attention to the other person in the room. Slowly, the assistant made their way over to Kaiba's desk and set down the coffee cup with a fluent, graceful motion.

Kaiba continued to type, not looking up from his work. He could feel the assistant still standing there, almost as if they were waiting for a thank you or something. They should know him better than that. Seto Kaiba never thanked anyone.

"You can leave now," Kaiba said rudely. He still did not look up.

"Is that how you greet your guests, Kaiba?"

At this, Kaiba looked up to see the face that matched the familiar voice. Ishizu Ishtar stood over him. The last time Kaiba saw Ishizu was in Egypt when Yugi dueled Atem, nothing had changed only Ishizu's long, straight black hair was pulled up into a modest ponytail.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to see you," Kaiba said harshly as he crossed his arms angrily over his chest.

"You should know by now that I don't take orders from you, Kaiba." Ishizu countered.

Kaiba scowled at her, "What do you want, Ishizu, and make it quick, I don't have time for your fantasy bullshit today."

The Egyptian woman sighed heavily, "How many times do I have to tell you that what I speak is the truth?" Ishizu shook her head before continuing, "Look, Kaiba, I know that you've been suffering from nightmares, I can see it on your face, you haven't slept for days."

"Yeah? Your point?" Kaiba was annoyed, he didn't have time to deal with this woman, and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about those weird dreams.

"Your dreams may be a sign of what may come in the future?"

Kaiba laughed loudly, "Whatever, Ishizu."

Ishizu glared at him, "Believe what you wish, Kaiba, but dreams can tell us more than we could've ever imagined."

"So?" Kaiba mocked.

"_So_," Ishizu mocked back, "I didn't come here to argue you, I came here to ask you if you've ever heard of elemental bending."

"What?"

"Elemental bending, when a person can bend the elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Have you heard of this?"

Kaiba's mocking tone turned into a deep, stern one, "Look, Ishizu, I don't have time for your bullshit, so I suggest you leave before I call a psych ward to come a get you."

"Kaiba, I know this sounds absurd but I have a point to this!" Ishizu raised her voice, the look on her face was almost pleading with him. "I have something," Ishizu began digging into her brown satchel that she had brought with her, "my team of archeologists recently discovered ancient scrolls just outside of Cairo. These scrolls seem to have information on civilizations that I've never even heard about. It seems as though we've discovered an entirely new historical period!"

"Great," Kaiba stated sarcastically.

Ishizu ignored him and continued, "I have not been able to decipher the entirety of the scrolls yet, but I have found something that will shock you, Kaiba."

Kaiba rolled his eyes, still speaking with thick sarcasm, "Here we go again…"

Ishizu dug deeper into her bag until finally pulling out a small scroll, unraveling it to show Kaiba. The scroll contained some early form of Asian writing with a small symbol that resembled swirling water on the bottom right-hand corner.

"This is an ancient document from a city that practiced one of the four elemental bending. The people were water benders from a tribe known as the Northern Water Tribe and they eventually established their own city on the coast of North America. This city was never officially documented due to the disappearance of its water bending people."

Kaiba bore his eyes into her angrily. He wanted nothing more than to kick Ishizu and her nonsense out of his office.

Ishizu could sense Kaiba's tension and decided to get to the point, "The city was named after the peoples prophetic water bending successor, Seto."

"What?"

"The city was named Seto."

Kaiba laughed, "You actually think that out of all of the Seto's out there that _I'm_ the one that stupid scroll is referring to? You've lost it Ishizu…"

The Egyptian woman dug out another scroll from her bag and unraveled it to show to Kaiba, "This scroll is from another ancient city around the same time that the city of Seto was founded. This city was created by air bending nomads and was also dedicated to their prophetic successor, Yugi."

"What?" The slightest shiver made its way down Kaiba's back. Ishizu was lying, this couldn't be right. Two ancient cities, founded around the same time, named after a futuristic Seto and Yugi? It sounded completely crazy!

Ishizu could tell by the look in his eye that Kaiba was a bit unnerved, "I told you you'd be shocked."

Kaiba didn't say anything. He just glared at her, pissed at the fact that she had to unload all of this information on him.

Ishizu placed the scrolls back into her bag, "There is still more research to be done, however, the scrolls indicate that the prophecies would be fulfilled by this year."

"What does _that _mean?" Kaiba demanded.

Ishizu began to make her way towards the exit. She turned the knob and slowly opened the door, "That you may become a water bender by the end of this year. I presume you'll find out soon, it is November after all." Before she completely shut the door behind her she left Kaiba with one last comment, "Consider this a warning, Kaiba, for you may experience a new way of life very soon." With that, Kaiba's office door shut. Leaving Kaiba alone to think about everything that had just happened.

Pulling up a search engine on his computer, Kaiba began frantically searching everything that Ishizu had told him. She was right. There was no information on any of the ancient cities. However, Kaiba found just one website that had the slightest information on elemental bending. According to the website, elemental bending was literally bending the elements to a persons will using trained moves.

Kaiba leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples in frustration. He was so tired, and now all of _this_ was happening. He just did not have the time, or the energy to deal with this in his life right now.

Grabbing his coffee cup and taking a sip, he was surprised that it was still hot. It seemed like forever ago that the substance was brought in. Setting the cup next to his computer and leaning forward to search more on bending, Kaiba found himself staring at the peculiar pictures of a person bending. The pictures were very old, but they looked like a martial arts form. The waving of arms and the stances differentiated depending on what element a person was bending. The water bending forms looked rather easy, most were just a few fluid motions with the arms. Kaiba lazily raised his left arm to match the picture on the screen and swiftly swished it upward.

There were very few moments in Seto Kaiba's life that his heart practically flew out of his chest. This was one of those few moments. Kaiba's jaw dropped as he stared at his levitating coffee as it rose out of the coffee cup. His arm still hanging above the hot liquid, Kaiba could not believe what he was seeing! He thought for sure he was hallucinating! He had to be! He had not slept in forty-eight hours! People are classified legally insane if they haven't slept for this long, _right_? It was just a dream; this all was just a dream. As Kaiba swung his arm down, the hot coffee spilt everywhere, seeping onto his lap and flooding his computer.

"OUCH!" Kaiba yelled as he felt the substance drench him, leaking through his clothes.

If this was all just a maddening dream, then why did it feel so real?

* * *

><p>Serenity Wheeler tapped her foot nervously. She had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the results from her doctor. Sitting in a small, white doctors office room was getting to her, and Serenity could feel herself growing more and more anxious as the clock on the wall slowly ticked away. Impatiently running her fingers through her hair, Serenity wondered what her older brother, Joey, would think if the results came back positive. Would he be upset? Would he sympathize with her? Serenity didn't know.<p>

Just when the thought of her brother hit her, the door opened. A middle-aged doctor with think rimmed glasses walked in and shut the door behind him. He was carrying a clipboard that looked flooded with papers. He flipped through a couple of them until he found the sheet he was looking for.

"So, Serenity…." The doctor began, "it seems that your test came back positive."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please, please, PLEASE let me know! I appreciate all types of feedback, especially feedback on the coffee bending, haha just kidding! Anyway, see you next time!


	2. Coming Together

**A/N:** Hey, welcome back! I hope all of you enjoyed the first chapter. Now, onto the second, enjoy! (P.S. I used Wikipedia. You've been warned.)

**I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH! OR AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER!**

Book 1: Water

Chapter 2- Coming Together

* * *

><p>"It is a pleasure being in your presence President Valerie Von Brandt," an older, slender Asian man said as he bowed his head, "let me tell you, you are even more breath-taking in person as you are in pictures."<p>

"Ah, flattery," the young woman flipped a strand of blonde hair over her shoulder, "As wonderful as that is, it will not get you too far with me."

The Asian man smirked, his eyes mischievously smiling at her, "I'm just simply fascinated by you. Beautiful, brilliant, and one of the world's most powerful leaders, all at the fragile age of nineteen. It's impressive."

The young president snickered disdainfully, her voice thickening up with sternness, "Don't make me repeat myself, Emperor Haru, flattery doesn't impress me." She stood from her office chair and walked over to the large window on the opposite side of the room. Her view of Germany was beautiful. The Bellevue Palace overlooked a gorgeous river and Valerie found herself just staring at the water flow from her office window whenever she felt stressed.

Valerie knew Emperor Haru was correct. She _was_ impressive. Valerie Von Brandt was the youngest president in German history, reshaping Germany's age of candidacy laws. However, that's not what made her impressive. What made Valerie Von Brandt so impressive was her heritage. She was the direct descendant of the Fire Lord of the once thriving Fire Nation. Unfortunately, the Fire Nation no longer existed, but Valerie would be sure to change that. Emperor Haru of Japan would be Valerie's final piece to Fire Nation success.

Grinning maliciously, Valerie turned around to face her guest. Her light brown eyes were callous and manipulating, "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

Emperor Haru's lips curled, "Absolutely."

Valerie waltzed gracefully over to her desk and opened the top drawer, "I hope you find this suitable," she handed the Japanese emperor a golden sheet of paper.

Unfolding the paper, Emperor Haru looked over its contents carefully, grinning when he discovered that it met his standards. "This will suffice." Folding the paper back up and placing it carefully into his back pocket, the Japanese Emperor sneered at the young woman in front of him, his eyes were daring and wide, "What would you like to know?"

The German President's beautiful features were bold and void of any hint emotion, "Everything," she stated simply.

"They're plotting against you."

The young woman laughed madly, "Please, Haru, tell me something I don't know." Within the blink of an eye Valerie's emotion changed and she became wicked, the volume of her voice sending shivers down the old mans back, "_Waste_ anymore of my time and you can be sure that _you_ will become _waste_!" Taking a piece of blonde hair and twisting it intriguingly around her index finger, her voice subdued and she maliciously smiled at the emperor, "Have I made myself clear?"

Emperor Haru swallowed hard and nodded.

"Good," Valerie said, "Now let's try this one more time, shall we?" She scowled at the man standing across from her, giving him a daring look, "Tell me _everything_!"

* * *

><p>This couldn't be happening! This just <em>couldn't <em>be happening! Her worst fear had come true….

Serenity Wheeler let the tears stream down her face. She had been lying in her bed crying for hours. After her doctor's appointment early that day had gone sour on her, she had no motivation to do anything. The only thing that felt absolutely necessary was to cry. Cry, sob, wail, scream, all of those things felt needed as Serenity's worst fear had come true.

Serenity Wheeler was going blind.

Years earlier her older brother, Joey, had won prize money during a dueling tournament to pay for an operation to prevent her blindness. The operation had worked and Serenity thought that all of her vision problems were behind her. Unfortunately, her complications were not behind her.

About a month ago, Serenity had noticed dark spots in her vision and immediately had gone to the doctor about it. The doctor performed a few tests and about a month later the results were in. Serenity was going blind. The doctor told her that there was nothing they could do. The chances of a second operation being successful were slim considering the first operation apparently failed. It was only a matter of time before Serenity would go completely blind.

The worst part of this whole thing was Joey. He had learned how to duel for _her_, so he could save her vision. He'd worked so hard to win the prize money for her operation and now it was all for nothing. How was she going to break the news to him? Would he be mad? Would he be upset at her for losing her vision? Serenity was so afraid to tell him, but she had to before it was too late, and her eyesight was gone completely.

Slowly reaching for her cell phone that was on her nightstand, she dialed her brothers phone number and waited while it rang.

'_Hello_?' Joey's voice was pleasant, as usual. Serenity was saddened, knowing that she would ruin all pleasantness in her brother.

Gathering up all the vocal strength she could, she managed to speak, "Hey Joey…."

'_You don't sound so good, sis_,' Joey stated, a hint of concern crept its way into his voice, '_is something wrong_?'

It took every fiber of her being to not lie to him. Serenity wanted to just say 'no' and leave it at that, just to forget about this whole situation. However, Serenity _had_ to face this one way or another. She knew she needed to tell her brother straight up, even though it would be hard, even if she weren't ready to tell him, she knew she just had to. Serenity's voice came out sad and soft, "N-n-no Joey…. Everything is not okay," a few tears strayed from her eyes, "I went to the doctors and…. and they said I am…." She took a deep breath before she broke down completely, "I'm going blind, Joey."

The other line was silent. Time passed slowly, like watching paint dry. Both brother and sister were quiet, musing over what Serenity had said. Finally, after what felt like hours, Joey decided to speak, _'Where are you, Serenity?'_

Through small sobs Serenity replied, "At moms. She isn't home."

'_I'm coming over! I'll see you in twenty minutes!'_ Joey hung up the phone. Serenity could hear the urgency in her brother's voice and was thankful for him, but was weary of what he'd say to her when he arrived. Would he be mad? Would he have sympathy? Serenity didn't know….

* * *

><p>"I've gotta go guys, I'll see you later!" Joey Wheeler said suddenly as he abruptly stood up and ran out of Yugi Muto's living room. Yugi, Tea, and Tristan were in shock as Joey bolted out of the home. None of them even had time to ask Joey where he was going. After a moment of shocked silence, the three friends gave each other a concerned look and sat up, running towards the front door to see if Joey was still present. Unfortunately, the fierce blonde was gone.<p>

"What do you think happened?" Tristan asked.

"I think he got a call from Serenity," Yugi perceived, "She must've had bad news."

Tea's face fell as her deep blue eyes fell to the floor in unease, "Oh no…."

"What should we do?" Tristan questioned, there was extreme urgency in his voice. Even though Tristan would never admit it to Joey's face, he cared deeply for the Wheeler family. He was loyal to both Joey and Serenity, and cared greatly for their wellness.

"Give the young man some time," Solomon Muto entered the room, wisdom was evident on the elder man's face, "Joey will tell you guys what's wrong eventually."

"But what if he needs us!? We're his best friends!" Tristan hollered.

Solomon smiled softly, "Exactly, you are all his best friends, he'll come to you. Just give him some time."

"What can we do in the mean time?" Tea asked, sadness sliding into her voice.

Solomon disappeared from the room, leaving the three teenagers confused, giving quizzical glances towards each other. Moments later Solomon returned with a plate of snacks, he responded cheerily to Tea's question, "Eat!"

* * *

><p>"Uh…. What!?" Mokuba Kaiba, the younger brother of popular CEO, Seto Kaiba, stood outside of his older brothers bedroom door in the Kaiba mansion. He was staring at Roland, Kaiba's right-hand man, with confusion and concern. The young boy's arms were folded over his chest and his gray eyes contained a look of determination that eerily resembled his older brother's. Mokuba was impatiently waiting for Roland to explain what had happened to Seto earlier that morning. After Mokuba had gotten home from school, Roland mentioned that Kaiba was feeling ill and came home from work early. Mokuba had bolted up the stairs to check on his brother when Roland blocked the doorway before the younger Kaiba could burst through. Mokuba knew better than to just think that Seto was 'sick.' Even if Seto was sick he would tough it through work. Mokuba knew his brother better than anyone, so who was Roland fooling? <em>Not<em> Mokuba Kaiba that's for sure….

"As I was saying, Mr. Kaiba told me to cancel his meetings for the rest of the day. He said he was going crazy from a lack of sleep and insisted to be brought home immediately. I asked him if he was feeling ill and he replied with a simple, 'yes.' I am telling you the truth, Mokuba, Mr. Kaiba does not want to be disturbed."

Mokuba sighed heavily, attitude and anger flared up within the young teen, "Look, Roland, I know you're trying to protect Seto, but you and I both know that there is more to this than Seto just being ill. Now, tell me, what's wrong with him!?"

"I-I can't-"

The raven-haired teen interrupted Roland quickly and with fury, "Why not Roland!?"

The man was silent. He didn't know what to say or do.

"Fine, if you're not going to tell me I'll just find out myself!" Mokuba tried pushing past Roland, however, the older man was able to keep Mokuba from reaching the door.

"Stop it, Roland! I need to see him!"

"Mr. Kaiba has given me important orders to have _no one_ disturb him!"

"Those rules don't apply to me, I'm his brother!"

"I'm only following orders, Mokuba!"

"Screw his orders! I am his brother and I can see him whenever I want! We are _family_!"

"I'm sorry, Mokuba, I can't let you see him! You'll need to check up on him when he's not sleeping!"

"I need to see what's wrong with him!" Mokuba cried. As the two fought for control, the volumes of their voices were rising, causing a disturbance on the other side of the door.

"You cannot disturb him!" Roland yelled back, pushing Mokuba away.

"Roland!" Mokuba shouted.

The door finally swung open, Mokuba and Roland both froze, neither one responsible for opening the door. Their eyes met a pair of tired, cold, blue eyes that glared at the two of them in annoyance.

An exasperated sigh escaped from Kaiba as he spoke, "Well, I'm disturbed." He looked down at his younger brother, yawning slightly before speaking, "What do you want, Mokuba?"

Roland and Mokuba quickly shuffled out of their little fight and straightened up. Mokuba was relieved to see his brother and asked, "Are you alright, Seto? Roland told me you were sick."

Kaiba sighed heavily again and responded sarcastically, "I know…. I heard."

Mokuba looked down, "I'm sorry we woke you, Seto, I was just worried. Leaving Kaiba Corp. for being sick just isn't like you. That's why I freaked out."

Kaiba observed Mokuba, noticing the worry on his brother's face, "Come with me," Kaiba lead his brother into his bedroom.

Mokuba followed, shutting the door behind him and sitting down next to Kaiba on the end of the bed. "What's the matter, Seto? Are you really sick?"

Kaiba shook his head, "I don't know, Mokuba…." Kaiba was hesitant to tell his brother of the events that took place earlier that day. Would Mokuba think he was delusional? Kaiba sure as hell thought he'd lost it, so surely Mokuba would too, right? Kaiba didn't know. He'd thought that all he needed was sleep, but even with the few hours of sleep he'd just received those strange dreams were still there, even more intense than ever now. Kaiba didn't understand why all of this was happening, but maybe all he needed to do was talk to someone about it. Clearly Mokuba was concerned and Kaiba knew he could rely on his only family member.

Taking a deep breath Kaiba began, "I don't know if you've noticed, but over the past week I've been pretty fatigued."

"Yeah, I thought it was just stress and lack of sleep from work?"

"Well, yes, but the majority of it has been from nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Mokuba examined his brother closely. Seto was sitting hunched over, not in his usual straight and strong posture, and now that Seto had mentioned the nightmares Mokuba could see how they were wearing on him.

"Every night," Kaiba said, his voice seemed to contain a hint of anxiety and grief. "These nightmares are the same every night. A person walks up behind me, I never see them, and they somehow take control of my body. My hands begin choking me and I can't stop it, then the voice tells me to die…."

"That sounds terrible. Why do you think this is happening?" Mokuba asked, "I mean, you aren't one to freak out about a stupid dream, there's gotta be something more to it."

Kaiba deeply exhaled, "As much as I hate to admit it, I think you're right Mokuba."

Mokuba sympathetically frowned, "Then what do you think this all means?"

"Ishizu came by my office this morning…."

Mokuba seemed surprised, "Ishtar? The last time we saw her was when the pharaoh left. Why would she visit you?"

Kaiba gave his brother a firm look, "I can guarantee you one thing, _I _didn't invite her over. She somehow found her way in and began explaining mythical bullshit to me. Obviously, it's completely ridiculous, but when she left I began searching what she told me about."

Mokuba was quick to ask questions, "Wait, is there more about ancient Egypt that goes beyond the pharaoh that we didn't know about?"

Kaiba shook his head, "No, Ishizu didn't tell me anything about Egypt, however, she did tell me about two ancient cities. However, my own search came up with no results on the cities, but…"

Mokuba tilted his head, "But what, Seto?"

Kaiba's eyes locked with Mokuba's and encompassed a harsh look of confusion and pain. Mokuba suddenly saw how jumbled and frustrated his brother truly was. Mokuba rarely saw his brother look like this, even after everything they'd been through, Seto was hardly ever this mentally broken. Compassion flooded the young Kaiba as he gave his brother a kind and gentle look, encouraging Seto to continue.

"You're never going to believe me when I tell you this, Mokuba, I can hardly believe it myself. This is going to sound insane, but…." Kaiba inhaled sharply, barely believing he was about to say this, "I think I'm a water bender."

* * *

><p>"I hate waiting like this," Tea began, "I wish we had an idea if Joey is okay or not."<p>

Yugi looked at Tea with sympathetic eyes, "Me too, Tea…."

"Think we should call?" Tristan asked. He was lying on Yugi's living room sofa looking through a deck of Duel Monster cards.

Yugi and Tea were sitting on the floor next to the coffee table, shuffling through television channels. Neither one responded, remembering what Yugi's grandfather had told them earlier. Joey would come to them eventually, _right_?

"Hey!" Yugi shouted, "Go back to that channel Tea!"

Tea quickly tapped on the television remote, "This channel?"

Yugi nodded.

Tristan looked away from the deck of cards to take a peek at the television screen. "The news? Why would you wanna watch the news, Yugi?"

"_Shhhhhh_! Be quiet! I'm trying to listen!" Yugi shushed him.

'_Breaking news! It seems as though the 'One America' plan has spread globally, and within a matter of hours! Our report from the United Nations Organization has confirmed that Asia and Europe have come together, just as North, Central, and South America have. This news became official when Japanese emperor, Emperor Haru, agreed to the union. According to sources, he was the last world leader to have to agree to make the union legitimate. So, it is official, Asia and Europe have now become one nation. There is no news yet regarding the name of our new nation or its new laws. _

_As for the state of Japan, it seems as though things will not be organized officially for at least a month or so. However, world leaders are telling everyone to be prepared for the new changes. Essentially, this union is a boost for Japan's economy and way of life, along with every other country that is part of the Asia/European union. Stay tuned for more news about our new nation.'_

Silence filled the room as the three teenagers were in shock of the news that they had just heard. Disbelief occupied their minds as they digested the information that they were not citizens of Japan anymore. They were inhabitants of a new country that they didn't even know the name of!

"I can't believe this," Yugi spoke with a stunned voice. It had only been this morning that he had found out about the entire western hemisphere becoming one large country. _That_ shocked him, but now _this_! His own country, his _home_! It didn't feel like his home any longer, and it only took a matter of hours to change that.

The world was coming together. He should be happy, right? He was happy for America this morning, but now he just felt worried. Now he was in the same predicament as the people in the western hemisphere were. It only took a matter of hours for this to happen and now Yugi fretted the future. How was his life going to change now?

"This may be weird to say, considering we all knew that this could eventually happen, but now that it has…." Tea paused, her eyes fixed on the floor, "I just feel completely scared, like this whole thing was a bad idea…."

"I think that the world leaders jumped into this too soon," Tristan began as he voiced his opinion, "I mean, America took months of preparation, but our stupid emperor had to rush into it! It's just dumb."

"They had been planning this for our country as well," Yugi stated, "I just didn't think it would be this soon." Yugi's eyes fell onto the girl sitting next to him, "I agree, Tea, I don't have a good feeling about this either."

From the other room, Solomon Muto was eavesdropping on the conversation. He'd heard the news and knew it was trouble from the start. Quickly heading to the telephone on the wall, Solomon dialed the number of a close friend.

After a couple rings the phone was answered, '_Solomon, you heard the news_.' The voice on the other line was urgent and determined, not even questioning who was calling.

"Yes," Solomon's voice was low as to not cause a disturbance that might catch the attention of his grandson. "This is it. They're coming."

'_Yes, the four nations are returning. They are preparing for the return of the-_'

"Shhhh," Solomon whispered, "You don't need to say it. I don't want any suspicions, someone else could be listening."

'_We need to speak in person_.'

"Agreed, it's too dangerous to be communicating this way, especially now."

'_Yes_,' the voice on the other end sounded gloomy, '_I'm afraid our time is limited. We need to speak in person as soon as possible._'

"Absolutely," Solomon said, "How fast can you get to Japan?"

'_I should be able to leave Cairo by tomorrow_.'

"I will pick you up from Domino City airport. Call me before you land."

'_Of course, thank you my old friend_,' the voice was sincere.

"You're welcome. Tomorrow."

'_Tomorrow_.' The line went dead.

Solomon hung up the phone and leaned against the wall, letting out a disturbed sigh. He knew this was it. The moment the world had been waiting for. Preparation of over a thousand years was about to finally be complete.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** OMG! That was a fun chapter to write! So, are you all confused yet? Tell me what you think! Reviews are like Christmas presents! Thanks!


	3. The Symbol

**A/N: **Enjoy!

**I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH! OR AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER!**

Book 1: Water

Chapter 3- The Symbol

* * *

><p>"Joey? What're you doing here?"<p>

Joey Wheeler sprang up on his mother's living room sofa. After Serenity had told him the bad news, Joey had insisted he'd stay at his mother's house for a while. Serenity told him that it was a bad idea if their father found out, but Joey told her not to worry and that he'd take care of whatever outburst his father would bring. The Wheeler's were divorced and Serenity stayed with their mother while Joey stayed with their alcoholic father. Hopefully, their dad would be too drunk to even notice Joey's absence for a few days.

Joey's mother set down her car keys and purse on the kitchen counter and walked into the living room where Joey was. It was three in the morning and Mrs. Wheeler had just gotten done with work. She was an evening nurse at Domino City Hospital, so Serenity was left alone most nights. Even though Serenity was safe, this always made Joey worry, and he wasn't about to leave her home alone in her current condition.

"Hi mom," Joey said tiredly. He wasn't sleeping when his mother came home. He'd been up all night thinking about what Serenity had told him. She was going blind. After everything that she went through, her operation that he'd worked so hard to get for her, she was_ still _going blind. It was an insane concept that Joey was still digesting. His little sister was inevitably going blind. Soon she would never be able to see her brother's face again. This thought disturbed him and sent chilling spikes of fear and sorrow up his spine.

"Why are you here?" His mother asked as she sat down next to her son and gently rubbed his back.

Joey glanced at her with painful eyes, "I'm here for Serenity."

Pain struck Mrs. Wheeler's face and her eyes sunk as she spoke, "She told you, huh? She called and told me when I was at work. I feel bad I couldn't be here earlier for her. Thank you for being her moral support."

Joey just nodded. He didn't know what to say; all he could do was recall the events of earlier that day. Serenity had been curled up on her bed, crying her eyes out, when Joey had arrived. His heart crumbled the moment he saw her. She was so broken, and Joey couldn't do anything about it. He had comforted her all night until she fell asleep. Now, here he was, wide awake, angry, and disturbed by how cruel this world could be.

"I can take care of Serenity, you know," Mrs. Wheeler explained, "You don't have to stay here, especially if it will upset your father."

"I don't give a damn about that drunken prick," Joey quietly said, a hint of rage was evident in his voice.

"Come now Joey, he is your father," Mrs. Wheeler scolded.

Joey grunted, heated sarcasm lacing every word, "Yeah, some father." The mockery faded as he spoke boldly and determined, "Besides, I'm staying here. Serenity needs me."

His mother just looked at him. She was clearly concerned but refused to say anything. In the past she had worried everyday about the well-being of her son, wondering what kind of man he'd grow up to be. Now, she was thankful he'd grown up to be such a loyal and noble young man, anything but what his father was….

Joey looked over at his mother, "I hope you don't mind if I stay-" He was interrupted by his mothers sudden embrace.

Small tears rolled down her cheeks as she held her son tightly, "You are welcome in my home anytime Joseph!"

A grateful smile graced his lips, "Thanks mom." He held her back just as tight as she held him, "And don't call me Joseph. You know how much I hate that!"

She let out a chuckle and broke the embrace, although she still continued to hold his arms, "I am your mother. I will call you whatever I please."

All Joey could do was smile.

"Now, let me get you a pillow and some blankets so you can be comfortable here," She left the room, quickly returning with a few pillows and blankets, handing them off to her son. "Have you gotten _any_ sleep?" she asked.

Joey shook his head, "I've been thinking too much."

Mrs. Wheeler sighed, "Well, there's nothing we can do to change Serenity's situation. However, we _can_ be there for her, and to do that we need _rest_. Now go to sleep."

Joey nodded and curled himself up under the blankets.

Mrs. Wheeler mentioned one last thing before she left the room, "I'm afraid there will be a lot more things changing in our lives than just Serenity's situation…."

She was about to leave the room when Joey shot up from the sofa and yelled to her, "Wait! What?"

She turned around to face her son, confusion on her face, "Didn't you hear the news? Asia and Europe have become one. We are no longer just Japan anymore, we are one country."

Joey's eyes widened, "What? When did this happen?"

"This evening. I heard it on my dinner break. It was on the five o'clock news."

Joey was dumbfounded, "So, within a matter of hours we've become just like America? One nation?"

Mrs. Wheeler's eyes fell to the floor, "Yes, and even though this is supposedly a good thing, I can't help but feel uneasy about it."

"Why did you decide to bring this up now?"

She bit her lip, eyes still focused on the floor, "I'm sorry, I just thought you already knew. I didn't know if you felt the same way or not…. I'm sorry I brought it up, go to sleep, Joey." And with that, she left leaving Joey is slight shock.

The blonde teen slowly sank back into the sofa, softly lying his head down on the pillow. His brown eyes burned holes into the white ceiling as Joey's mind raced. Why did his entire world decide to flip on him in one day? In that moment, Joey closed his eyes, finally letting his mind go, agreeing that everything had changed.

* * *

><p>Joey Wheeler wasn't the only one who seemed to be wide-awake that night. Yugi Muto tossed and turned, his mind shuffling through the events of the previous day. He was worried for his best friend who had still yet to tell him what had happened. Yes, Yugi was concerned for Joey, but that wasn't the only thing that kept him up. The news that evening, about the union of Asia and Europe, kept the teenager tossing and turning. There was something eerily frightening about the way it all went down. It took America months to make its final decision but only hours after America's decision was made, Asia and Europe had come to its conclusion.<p>

'_This is the most bizarre thing to be anxious about_,' Yugi thought as he rolled over in bed, '_I mean its just politics, right? Nothing more and nothing less. Just stupid politics! Politics that you have no control over_!' Even though Yugi tried endlessly to reassure himself that everything was going to be fine and that he couldn't do anything about it, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. The nag told him that this was bad!

"Urgh!" Yugi groaned as he rolled over once again. This was too confusing. Why was this bad feeling so strong? It was times like these where he wished the pharaoh were still around. The pharaoh would keep him company when he felt anxious at night, and he would give him the best advice Yugi had ever heard from anybody. Atem was indeed his best friend.

A tear trickled down Yugi's face. Atem was his best friend, but he was gone now. "Atem…." Yugi said his name out loud, "I need you…." Yugi glanced at a photo across the room that showed a picture of Atem with Joey, Tristan, and Tea. More tears made their way onto the pillow as Yugi took in Atem's face. He was gone…. He was gone when Yugi needed him the most. His best friend, the one that he wished for, was now gone forever.

"I wish you were here, Atem. You'd know what to do." Wiping the tears from his eyes, Yugi decided he'd walk around a little bit, just to clear his head.

He made his way through the hallway, taking a quick peek at his grandfather's bedroom. To Yugi's surprise, the door was wide open; usually his grandpa shut it before he went to bed. Quietly, Yugi tiptoed over to the doorway and peered inside. His grandpa's bed was made! There was no one in the room!

"Grandpa?" Yugi quietly said, "Grandpa, are you in here?"

A minute past and there was no reply.

Bolting down the stairs Yugi checked every room in the Game Shop that was part of the house. To Yugi's disappointment, the place was empty. His grandfather was nowhere to be found.

"Grandpa! GRANDPA!"

* * *

><p>He ran as fast as he could, adrenaline pumping through him like an injected drug. The dark forest was illuminated by the full moon, except the moon wasn't its usual color of brilliant silver tonight. No, the moon was a dazzling blood red, lighting everything as if a war had just taken place in that forest.<p>

His footsteps became heavier and faster, his feet hitting the ground with intense force. Sweat dripped off of his face and hit the ground with a splash. His breathing became labored and thick as the forest felt humid and hot, as if the bloody moon was making everything feel warmer. Painful tears started running down his cheeks when he heard their voices and their footsteps close behind him. They were catching up to him fast and he didn't know which way to turn. Glancing behind him, he saw their dark shadows as they were on his tail, and heard them cheer when they saw him running away like a mad man.

"H-HELP!" He screamed, "SOMEONE HELP!"

Wicked laughter exploded from behind him, "There's nowhere to run!"

Looking forward, the outline of a boulder stopped him in his tracks, and the moment he turned around he felt his body freeze. He was trapped and terrified.

'_This is it_,' he thought in terror, '_I'm done for_.'

A small cackle of laughter sent tremors flowing like lightning throughout his body, "Oh, how right you are."

Uncontrollably, his hands reached up with their own free will, clasping his neck with a force greater than anything he'd ever experienced in his life.

"Now…." The voice was controlled and sinful, "Die."

"AHHHH!" Seto Kaiba jolted upright from his bed, blankets and sheets flying forward with him. Gasping for breath and wiping a small amount of sweat from his brow, Kaiba jumped out of bed. He began pacing back and forth, from one wall of his bedroom to the other, '_It was just a dream…. Just a stupid dream,_' he told himself over and over again, but no matter how many times he told himself that it was only a dream, he was never truly convinced.

A small rapping at his door made him stop in his pacing. Kaiba slowly walked over to the door and opened it.

"Are you alright, big brother?" Mokuba asked him, concern in his tired, gray eyes, "I heard you scream."

Taking a slow deep breath, Kaiba replied softly, "I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to bed." He began to shut the door when Mokuba pushed through and entered the master bedroom.

"Don't shut me out, Seto," Mokuba stated, frustration and concern mixing like storm clouds in the young Kaiba's voice, "I'm worried about you and you know that."

"Don't be!" Kaiba snapped. His eyes flashed with pain and anger. Even though it was Mokuba, Kaiba didn't like being treated as some sort of victim by anyone, especially not right now. He was tired and wanted to rest, but every time he tried those wicked nightmares would haunt him, leaving him restless, ornery, and confused.

"Seto, if something is wrong I want to be informed! Don't leave me in the dark, you know I don't deserve that!"

Kaiba stood there in angry silence. He didn't know what to say to his brother. Of course Kaiba wanted to let his brother know what was going on, yet if his dreams indicated that someone was after him, he wanted Mokuba out of the picture to protect him.

"Was it a nightmare?" Mokuba asked as frustration was replaced by compassion.

Rubbing his forehead in irritation, Kaiba replied with a simple, "Yeah."

"What should we do?"

"Nothing."

"But if these dreams have something to do with you being a waterbender-" Mokuba was cut off by Kaiba screaming at him.

"Forget it! Forget about it, Mokuba! I never should have told you about it! It's nothing! Now go to bed!"

Being the strong-willed teen that he was, Mokuba would _not_ stand here and do nothing. He was smart, and he knew that this wasn't just 'nothing.' His brother was confused and obviously fearful of something. Mokuba needed to help him sort it out, only if Seto would just let him.

"Seto, I want to help you figure this out."

Kaiba shook his head, "There's nothing to figure out, just go to bed, Mokuba…."

"Just let me help you!" Mokuba pleaded, a hint of desperate rage in his voice.

"Just go to bed!" Kaiba shouted back. He began walking to his bed.

"If you're in trouble, if something is going to happen, I want to know," Mokuba pleaded once more.

Kaiba stopped walking to turn around and look his brother sternly in the eyes, "Trust me when I tell you there's nothing to worry about. Forget about everything that I told you earlier today. Forget about what Ishizu said, forget about the nightmares, and forget about the foolish waterbending. All of it is ridiculous and non-existent. Now, this is the last time I'm saying this, _go to bed_."

"It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself none of it is true, like you're in denial."

"MOKUBA!" Kaiba barked, his shout cracking in the eerie quietness of the night. The shout surprisingly sent shivers down both of their spines. "Go. To. Bed." Kaiba hissed through clenched teeth.

Mokuba huffed, stomped to the door, and screamed, "FINE!" before slamming the bedroom door with incredible force that shook the pictures on the walls.

Kaiba grumbled and clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white and his nails almost pierced through the skin on the palm of his hand. Quickly, he grabbed a pillow that was at the end of his bed and hurled it hastily at his door. Fury made him grab another and chuck it across the room. The soft pillow hit a hanging picture on the wall, knocking the picture down, making it shatter on the floor.

Kaiba stood quietly staring at the shattered pieces of glass. A sliver of moonlight pierced through the drawn curtains, shining light on the small fragments of glass, making them sparkle. Kaiba found himself hooked to the glimmering reflection. Walking slowly towards the broken picture, the CEO bent down and picked up a scrap of glass noticing its brilliant shine in the moonbeam. Setting the piece down, he carefully scooped up the damaged picture and gazed at it. It was an old picture of his parents. Observing the picture, Kaiba sadly smiled, realizing that the picture was from before he and Mokuba were born. His father was smiling strongly in the photograph, with his arms wrapped around his mother. His father's short, black hair was groomed neatly, and his eyes were shining with a brilliant gray hue. Kaiba hadn't really recognized it before, but Mokuba looked identical to his father. Glancing at his mother, Kaiba noticed how beautiful she was, how her radiant smile seemed to light up the picture. She looked so much like Seto that it was almost unreal, with her piercing blue eyes, and brunette locks. Kaiba found himself gaping at the image of his mother for what felt like eternity. The moonlight seemed to really shine down on her picture and after a long while Seto spotted something that he hadn't noticed before. Around his mother's neck was a small chocker necklace. The necklace appeared to have a tiny blue pendant attached to it. The pendant was like a shimmering blue jewel, even in the photograph it looked as though it was sparkling in the moon's light, and it appeared to have some sort of pattern carved on it. Kaiba squinted to get a closer look, to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Sure enough! The pendant _did_ have a pattern on it, but not just any pattern….

Sprinting over to his nightstand where his laptop was, Kaiba flipped open the device and began running through the searches he had performed earlier after Ishizu had stopped by. After completing the waterbending search, Kaiba froze. Slowly, he held the picture up next to his laptop, comparing the photograph to the image on the screen. Kaiba felt like his jaw dropped two hundred feet. The pattern on his mother's necklace wasn't just a simple design. It was a symbol…. _The waterbending symbol_!

Scrolling through more images, Kaiba discovered that the necklace was a common item among water-tribe women. There was no further information on the item but just that it was old and belonged to waterbenders.

Kaiba sighed and shut his laptop down, setting the photograph down next to it. He sat down on his bed and buried his head in his hands. '_This is crazy_,' he thought, '_I must be going insane…. To believe all of this junk is just ridiculous. I don't have time for this. I have a company to run_.' Falling down on his bed he began to take deep breaths, trying to convince his mind that this was some hoax. It had to be a trick, _right_? I mean, come on, bending water was ludicrous and impossible! '_But you did it! You bended your coffee the other day! You saw it with your own eyes_!'

"Nonsense!" Kaiba yelled out loud. His mind wouldn't shut off. It was as if he really _did_ want to believe even though it was foolish. Should he believe? Was it okay to? Was all of this even real or possible? Kaiba didn't know, but what he did know was that the necklace his mother wore had something to do with some old water tribe, and he wanted to figure it out. Maybe his mother had received it as a gift? Maybe it was a family heirloom that Kaiba didn't know about. An heirloom was a strong possibility considering his birth family had taken everything away from Mokuba and him. There was for sure things that he and Mokuba didn't even know about.

Crawling comfortably into bed, Kaiba gazed upon the moonlight that shown through the gap in the blinds. There was something unnerving about the way the light made him feel. It was as if he felt physically stronger somehow. Mentally, Kaiba shook his head. This was just too much to handle. The nightmares, Ishizu's story, the coffee, and his mother's necklace were all so troubling and Kaiba thought he'd lose it; maybe he already _had_ lost it, he didn't know….

Pulling his comforter over his head to avoid the moon's light, Kaiba began to take deep breaths. He'd tried not to think about everything, but it was impossible. His mind specifically wrapped around thoughts of his mother, and that's when the deep breaths became shallow, soft, sobs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I hope you are all enjoying this so far. It's a blast to write and I cannot wait until it all ties together. Sorry this chapter is so short. I needed to set it up right for the next one! Please review, and see you next chapter!


End file.
